Swimming appliance.



Y. IKEDA.

SWIMMINGUXPPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.6. I917- 1,252,697. Patnted Jan. 8, 1918.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY FFTCE.

YUUYEMON IKEDA, OF GARDENA, CALIFORNIA.

SWIMMING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,721.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, YUUYEMON IKEDA, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, residing at Gardena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Swimming Appliances, of which the following is a specificatwo.

This invention relates to improvements in swimming appliances attachable to the human body for the purpose of supporting the body in the water.

The invention has for its object to provide an appliance for this purpose adapted to be used as a life preserver by a person not able to swim, and as an aid to a swimmer when remaining in water for a longer period than able to swim.

Another object is to provide a device which offers the least obstruction while having a strong supporting capacity.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whicha The figure is a perspective view of my dev1ce.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts through the paper.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate buoyant members communicating by the hollow flexible band 3. The buoyant members are closed by the practically circular bottoms 4 and 5, Shoulder straps 6 and 7 are attached to the buoyant members 1 and 2, and to the hollow flexible band 3. A back buoyant member 8 is provided to support the body when swimming on the back. The back straps connect the back buoyant member with the buoyant members 1 and 2. And the body'straps 11 and 12 are provided on the back buoyant members for tying the whole appliance to the body of swimmer.

The buoyant members 1 and 2 are preferably made of cloth, rubber or other similar material inflated when in use so as to increase the supporting capacity of the device. lVhen not in use, the air is naturally not in the device and it is liable to sink under water when lost in the water, for the purpose of preventing this, small buoyant members 13 are secured to the buoyant members .1 and 2, made of cork, bark or other similar material so as to support the empty buoyant members 1 and 2 and thereby the whole device to such an extent as to keep it floating.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with buoyant members communicating by a flexible band, of a back buoyant member connected to the first named buoyant members by two back straps, two shoulder straps attached to the first named buoyant members and the flexible band forming loops so as to fit over the shoulder of a swimmer wearing this device, and two body straps attached to the back buoyant member so as to allow the tying of the device to the body of the swimmer.

2. A swimming device of the class described comprising two buoyant members of practically circular cross section having a reduced portion forming a communicating flexible band between the two buoyant members, shoulder straps provided on the circular buoyant members and the flexible communicating band, a back buoyant member,

1 connecting straps between the back buoyant member and the first named buoyant members, and body straps provided on the back buoyant member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 27th day of July, 1917.

EDWARD M. KAJIMA, Tosmo TAMARI.

(Ionics 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

